Vancouver 7s: Shujaa’s top eight hopes dealt massive blow as Great Britain inflicts more misery

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Vancouver 7s: Shujaa’s top eight hopes dealt massive blow as Great Britain inflicts more misery

Mark Kinyanjui 23:43 - 22.02.2025

Floyd Wabwire's efforts not enough as Kenya were brushed aside 28-10 to Great Britain in their final pool match of the Vancouver 7s on Saturday.

Kenya’s national men’s sevens team, Shujaa, endured a dismal outing at the ongoing 2024/2025 HSBC SVNS World Series in Vancouver, suffering a 28-10 defeat to Great Britain in their final Pool A match.

 This latest setback means Kenya has failed to secure any points in the tournament, having already lost to Argentina and France. The team now shifts focus to the 11th place playoff against Ireland, where they hope to salvage at least two points.

The match started on a promising note for Kenya when Floyd Wabwire -coming in for Patrick Odongo on the flank -  crossed the try line just two minutes in.

 Shujaa capitalized on a scrum initially in Great Britain’s favor, with Samuel Asati snatching the ball before Tony Omondi set up Wabwire for the opening score. However, Kenya’s lead was short-lived as defensive lapses proved costly.

Great Britain swiftly responded, leveling the score with a well-converted try after Wabwire failed to contain his man.

 Neil Homer then compounded Kenya’s woes with another converted try, evading Kevin Wekesa’s challenge to touch down. Wekesa’s protests over a suspected infringement were waved away by the referee, leaving Kenya trailing.

At halftime, Kenya faced a crucial moment to regroup and strategize, knowing that a victory was vital. 

They started the second half with renewed urgency, and substitute Jone Kubu made an immediate impact, setting up his second try of the match following a well-executed lineout. 

However, the conversion attempt went astray, leaving Kenya still in pursuit of an equalizer.

Great Britain, capitalizing on Kenya’s defensive lapses, extended their lead through Harry Glover, who cut through the defense to score yet another converted try. 

Charlton Nell then sealed Shujaa’s fate, adding a final converted try to cap off a dominant performance by Great Britain.

With three consecutive defeats, Kenya finishes the pool stage without a single point and will now face Ireland in the 11th place playoff. 

Beyond this immediate challenge, Shujaa must regroup and find solutions ahead of the crucial tournaments in Hong Kong and Singapore in March. 

With hopes of reaching back-to-back semi-finals, Kenya will also be banking on Great Britain faltering to keep their survival hopes alive in the series.

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